I Guess I Like Beer Alot...

[Murr]

So 11 days into December, And looking back I can say I've had at least 1 can/bottle/pint of beer every night so far.

 

But then I looked back further and can recall having at least 1 beverage almost every evening quite far back, perhaps even back as far as summer.

 

My fridge always has beer in it, I find if i'm watching football out then i'll have a beer, even if watching at home on my own.. i'll have a beer. On evenings I'll have my food with my wife, put the dishes in the dishwasher, give the kitchen a quick clean. And then either watch tv with her, or take myself to my game room and play my ps4. This is accompanied with a beer.

 

Should we have friends over for food on an evening, I'll have a beer. Should we go out for a meal just my wife and I...I'll have a beer.

 

you see what I'm saying here.

 

Now... Is that a problem? Do I have a problem? I rarely have more than one on a weeknight. On weekends I also rarely have more than one, unless something's on like we're going to town, or it's a party, or if I do watch football at the pub And those occasions aren't that frequent.

 

Is it just me? Do any of you N-Europers partake in a beer a night? Should I be concerned with my own intake?

 

It's not something I really thought about until this afternoon when a work colleague asked if i wanted to go to the pub at lunch to which I said no as I'll probably have a pint tonight.

 

Quick addition to my post, is that I do go to the pub on my lunch break on a Friday and partake in a pint then.

 

Am I alone in this? Am I border line alcoholic? Addicted? Or is it normalish to get home and have a beer to relax in the evening?

[Cube]

Since before last Christmas, I've had 2 pints of cider and 3 pints of lager.

[Agent Gibbs]

I maybe have a drink once a month? a go on a night out say every 2 months, where i go though a lot....

 

do you NEED a drink a day? if you do you've an alcohol problem, if you don't you are just into bad habits and being unhealthy

[Murr]

I maybe have a drink once a month? a go on a night out say every 2 months, where i go though a lot....

 

do you NEED a drink a day? if you do you've an alcohol problem, if you don't you are just into bad habits and being unhealthy

 

Can't say I need a drink a day no, I just have been in the house 99% of the time. And we always put beer on the food shop if we haven't got any.

 

I dunno if it's like I said something to do while relaxing, putting my feet up?

 

I've never thought I need a beer though.

[Magnus]

Since before last Christmas, I've had 2 pints of cider and 3 pints of lager.

Every night? And Murr thinks he has a problem.

[MoogleViper]

No this sin't a problem at all. In fact it's considered to be quite healthy to regularly have small amounts of alcohol. It reduces your risk of having a heart attack, a stroke or diabetes, as well as it containing quite a lot of victims (depending on your tipple of choice).

 

Also, if you were addicted you'd be having more than one. Yes I'm sure you crave an alcoholic drink when it gets to the evening, but so would somebody who ate a chocolate biscuit after every meal crave a chocolate biscuit after they've eaten.

 

When I was at my parents' house they would also have a fridge stocked with lager and/or cider, so when I was living with them (and whenever I go back to visit) I have a drink or two at night. I have stopped this, but only because it can be quite costly, and alcoholic drinks actually have a fair amount of calories. So for somebody who could stand to lose a stone it made sense to quit that habit.

[Jonnas]

Yeah, one beverage per day isn't harmful. It gets problematic if you get drunk/pissed often, but it doesn't sound like that's the case.

 

I know my parents usually take a glass of wine per meal, but rarely more during the rest of the day (and even then, only small amounts of beer). According to my mother, this is a family tradition, meaning she's been doing this since she was old enough to drink (and probably before). She certainly isn't an alcoholic.

[Rummy]

I'm not one to really comment on it(see name) but if you're within the limits(which I believe were a bit arbitrary anyway) then I don't think there's anything wrong with it. You're having a beer a day, it'd be more of an issue if you were having much more than just the one - for me I tend to find beer quite a unique taste that you just don't get elsewhere really, so it's not exactly something you can substitute out either.

 

I know people who drink a lot more than that tbh, so I'd say don't worry yourself.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Don't buy any next time you go shopping, see if that helps. Or see if you can replace it with something else non-alcoholic, in case it's a case of you have to "drink" something at these times, it doesn't necessarily need to be b33r.

[Jimbob]

It's ok to have 1 beer each night, just don't drink too many each night. Then it becomes a problem. I'm happy to have 1 beer near enough every night (apart from Sundays and Mondays). In fact, as I write this I have a beer.

[Esequiel]

My mum and step dad were alcoholics so I tend not to drink at home. I drink when I go out or have parties (maybe 3 times a year?) infact we had a Halloween party and i got do wasted that I couldn't remember things the next day and apparently tried some of the most daring sexualesque things with wife that I would never normally do.

 

So yeah.... I don't drink much.

[Grazza]

Just a suggestion: Why not give it up for a month? It's a good way of judging whether your body really is addicted to it or not.

 

Personally, I don't feel stressed enough to need a relaxing beer more than twice a week, and even then I feel that's a bit much. If I was drinking every day, I'd want to abstain just to see how much it improved my health/fitness.

[Ashley]

I saw the thread title several times and tried to think whose birthday it was...

 

Anyway. I don't have much opinion on whether or not it is a problem but sometimes its good to take stock.

 

I sometimes get concerned about (which I'm using here as being less serious than "worry about") my dependency on alcohol when I have a shitty day, and sometimes those days come one after the other. Things are calming down at work a bit at the moment so there's less of that (although t'is the season so more socialising) but there are times when I have a bad day and I think "I need a drink" but without really needing one. That's just my default go-to.

 

And it worries me because numerous members of my family have alcohol problems* and I guess I'm just conscious of that. I suppose as long as you're aware and consider changing.

 

Although I often just have red wine which has health benefits so I'm clearly doing the right thing

 

Have you tried alcohol free beers? My mother's husband has switched to alcohol free beer due to health reasons and says they're not too bad.

 

 

*father's side is Scottish so it's difficult to tell if it's a problem or a cultural predisposition

Edited December 11, 2014 by Ashley

[Iun]

I drink a glass or two of vodka a night. Neat. I can survive without it, but it's just a calming end to the day. Yesterday I didn't drink, or the night before.

 

I don't think you're addicted.

[arab_freak]

Replace (or just altogether cut out) your beer with a non-alcoholic version or another beverage of similar caloric content (anything besides energy drinks and other alcoholic drinks.)

 

Here's a list of withdrawal symptoms a typical alcoholic will go through:

• Anxiety or jumpiness
  
• Shakiness or trembling
  
• Sweating
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
• Insomnia
  

 

If you don't experience any of those things, then you've just developed a habit similar to the oral fixation a lot of smokers have. They don't really need to smoke, they just like having something in their mouths, and cigarettes do the job.

 

#AdviceFromAteetotaler.

[Blade]

I don't drink in the house at all. So I never have beer in. I do go to the pub regularly though and on a night out I do get wasted. I suppose i'm a binge drinker rather than a social or "have one pint/bottle" drinker.

 

I don't think having a pint/bottle a night is a problem at all to be honest.

[Shorty]

One beer isn't going to do you much harm, even if it's a habit, it could be worse.

 

If you want to know if it's a problem, just see how easy it is to not have one tonight.

 

And if you say "well, I'll try tomorrow, not tonight because <excuse>", then ask yourself again.

 

If you could switch it for a glass of red wine, you would actually go from big calorie intake to good for the heart.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Shorty

[Guy]

This isn't a problem until you wake up in an alleyway one morning with a stonking hangover, someone's hastily scribbled number in your pocket and twenty minutes to get six hundred miles back home to work.

 

A beer a night won't kill you. Five or six might though. If it bothers you, try and make a conscious effort to have a little less each week and see how that goes.

 

I used to think a few drinks a week was a lot, then I started noticing the piles of cans and wine bottles our neighbours left outside every rubbish collection day. The amount some people regularly drink is terrifying.

[Jimbob]

Replace (or just altogether cut out) your beer with a non-alcoholic version or another beverage of similar caloric content (anything besides energy drinks and other alcoholic drinks.)

 

 

Here's a list of withdrawal symptoms a typical alcoholic will go through:

• Anxiety or jumpiness
  
• Shakiness or trembling
  
• Sweating
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
• Insomnia
  

If you don't experience any of those things, then you've just developed a habit similar to the oral fixation a lot of smokers have. They don't really need to smoke, they just like having something in their mouths, and cigarettes do the job.

 

#AdviceFromAteetotaler.

 

I tend to go through 3 of them 5 things after an exeptionally heavy night out.

[MindFreak]

I would say that it's similar to having some candy or a coke every day. You get addicted to it but not to a degree where you can't control it and such. If you're trying to lose weight, though, stop drinking and replace it with diet coke or whatever.

 

However, it's a common misunderstanding that a a little alcohol every day is good for you. It does nothing good to your body - it might not do anything bad par se, but saying that it's good for your body is wrong.

[MoogleViper]

However, it's a common misunderstanding that a a little alcohol every day is good for you. It does nothing good to your body - it might not do anything bad par se, but saying that it's good for your body is wrong.

 

Just going to leave this here.

[Sheikah]

It's one of those things where people don't really know for sure, with conflicting evidence on either side. Most people that drink regularly probably drink more than many studies would define as a 'healthy' amount anyway.

 

Very recently though, a scientific article in the BMJ (which is one of the top biomedical journals) concluded that reducing alcohol intake at any level is good for you, with benefits to your heart, BMI and blood pressure. This was also done with 261,991 participants, which certainly lends strength to the side that any alcohol is actually bad for you.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Sheikah

[MindFreak]

Just going to leave this here.

 

Two can play that game:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/mar/07/safe-level-alcohol-consumption

 

As Sheikah said, studies do not agree. But more recent studies have shown that it is a myth, which he also pointed out.

 

In the 60s, smoking wasn't bad for you either.

[bryanee]

I haven't had a pint since I was 18...sooo 13 years ago.

[Ramar]

I drink a glass or two of vodka a night. Neat.

 

Always knew you were a machine.